A must-attend event at this year’s Cultivate is the unveiling of Modern
Homesteading, an exclusive certified dealer program to fast track independent garden
centers into the exploding indoor growing market.
Created by Sunlight
Supply, the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of year-round
gardening supplies, this new program provides forward thinking IGCs a turn-key
solution to take advantage of the year-round gardening movement and to meet the
growing demand for organic food 365-days-a-year.
Sunlight Supply’s founder, Craig Hargreaves, wants to help
IGCs be part of that year-round gardening movement. “Gardening indoors makes it
easy for anyone to grow fresh year-round, no matter the season, weather or
conditions, either in kitchens or classrooms,” he says. “And with the growing challenges to gardening outdoors
brought on by severe climate conditions, soil infertility and pest issues, growing
food indoors is not only easy, but necessary.”
Growing indoors is a fast growing trend. According to IBISWorld,
a global business intelligence leader, hydroponic equipment stores had revenues
of just under $1 billion in 2015 and the market is projected to continue to
grow by 5 percent annually in the next five years.
This growth coupled with the
demand for clean food makes indoor growing a hot growth opportunity for IGCs.
What is Modern
Homesteading?
Modern Homesteading is a department within a garden center
dedicated to helping people grow indoors year-round. The first department opened
with an immediate and positive response at Homestead Gardens in March 2016.
Owner Brian Riddle knew he could capture the growing demand
for indoor gardening, attract new customers and increase store traffic. He so
clearly saw the vision presented by Sunlight Supply that he devoted 2,500 sq.
ft. and dedicated staff to this new, non-seasonal department.
“Homestead Gardens is no different
than any other IGC,” explains Riddle. “We have to find ways to attract those
currently not shopping our stores and get current customers to shop more times
per year. Being a year-round destination is our goal.”
The product assortment is a selection of the most popular
indoor, hydroponic and aquaponic supplies selected specifically for the
department from Sunlight’s extensive catalog of more than 5,000 SKUs.
In addition to the physical investment, Riddle hired indoor
gardening expert Adrian Turner to manage the Modern Homesteading department.
Turner, a graduate of Oaksterdam University, hosts weekly indoor growing classes
that provide all levels of education and regularly draw current and new
customers into the store.
Riddle says Homestead Gardens has always had a strong
education mission and this new department is expanding everyone’s growing
horizons. Saturday morning class can reach as many as 25 attendees.”
“We know how to grow in the soil in gardens and containers,”
he explains. “Our new opportunity to
grow is by helping beginning indoor gardeners be successful and have fun,” says
Riddle.
Plans at Cultivate’16
In addition to exhibiting at booth #2032, Sunlight is
hosting an invitation only meeting. Guests will learn about the new Modern
Homesteading certified dealer program and learn about the national marketing
platform being implemented by Garden Media Group.
“Our goal is to capture the momentum around the indoor
gardening phenomena,” says Katie Dubow, creative director at Garden Media.
“IGCs have the opportunity to be part of a larger movement. We’re providing people
the inspiration to create, the education to be successful and the tools to participate.”
Representative from all companies will be on hand to answer
questions about Modern Homesteading and the future of indoor growing.
“Cultivate is the perfect place to launch Modern
Homesteading,” says Hargreaves. “AmericanHort’s yearly conference has the
reputation of offering industry insiders a sneak peek into the latest trends
and hot new products in the lawn and garden market, and this is
one of the
hottest.”
For more information email Katie@gardenmediagroup.com.
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